In response to President Obama’s speech on Tuesday urging Congress to get to work on financing the Highway Trust Fund and preventing a stoppage in construction projects next month, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers issued the following statement: “We agree with President Obama: ensuring the Highway Trust Fund remains solvent through the summer construction season is ‘not that hard.’”   “We’re encouraged by bipartisan efforts to avoid a shortfall in the HTF next month that would result in a partial government shutdown of highway projects. But that still means Congress must finally step up and finally offer a serious proposal to sustainably finance the trust fund in a way to win support from both parties.”  “One sustainable proposal involves raising the gas tax. We were pleased that Secretary Foxx today suggested that President Obama would consider a higher gas tax if Congress were to send him such legislation. Such a proposal—like the bipartisan plan offered by Sens. Chris Murphy and Bob Corker—offers a blueprint for Congress to responsibly resolve this impasse.”